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Londolozi Live

Membership overview

We invite you to sign up for a Londolozi Live account and join our growing digital family united by our respect for nature and love of the wild. Membership is free and grants access to the Londolozi community, numerous innovative services and benefits across our digital ecosystem:

Quick sign in/sign up

Tired of new passwords? Link your social media account of choice for instant, secure access to Londolozi Live.

Who are you?

Tell the community something about yourself and tweak your Londolozi profile. More of a secretive animal? Keep your profile private.

Track your activity

Earn badges for your profile as you interact with Londolozi and the community as you comment, share and explore our online ecosystem. All your activity with Londolozi is now connected.

Increase your ranking

Earn prowess and rank up as you interact with Londolozi Live and earn a spot on the monthly points leaderboard.

Discuss stories

Chat with other Londolozi Live Explorers and with your favourite Contributors from the Londolozi team about their photos and stories from the wild.

Curate your own galleryNEW

Add your favorite photographs from around Londolozi Live to your very own Favorites gallery, using the ♡ button, for others to enjoy.

Purchase full res photosNEW

Buy your favorite photos in full resolution, easily and securely, for download at any time from your Profile Page.

Home of leopards

Tell us which of the Leopards of Londolozi you've encountered during your visit! Their cards will move to your profile page collection.

Rent gear

Need a camera for your stay? Book it online and hassle free. Travel to Londolozi light and easy.

Londolozi Live q

What is the Difference Between Horns and Antlers?

Horns and antlers always seem to accentuate an animal’s demeanour, mood or appearance. A confrontational buffalo bull staring through the foliage wouldn’t look anywhere near as intimidating without the sleek curvature of his cranial armour. A magnificent elk bull, high up on the ridge, calling into the early morning mist wouldn’t be quite so breath-taking without his rack of magnificent antlers. Naturally, these head adornments tend to elicit a similar array of questions from many of our guests, one of which is, “Are Horns the same as Antlers?”. Like horns, antlers are primarily used in the contest between males for territory, dominance and mating rights but there are, however, several telling differences between the two.

Buffalo bulls displaying their impressive horns. No species on Londolozi possesses antlers; if you see a bony protrusion on an animal’s head, they will invariably be horns. Photograph by James Tyrrell

Antlers, characteristic of the Cervidae or deer family, are branching deciduous growths that are shed annually.

At anything from a ¼ to one inch per day, antler growth is one of the fastest types of growth tissue on Earth, and the only example of an organ that is shed and regrown each year. When antlers are growing they’re bulbous and pliable, composed of blood vessels, skin, cartilage and bone. The outermost layer of skin covering a growing antler is covered in tiny hairs, has a distinct velvety texture and is soft, warm and almost spongy to the touch. The ‘velvet’ increases the apparent size of the antlers, promotes bone development and acts similarly to an insect’s antennae, alerting the animal to anything they come into contact with. If an antler is cut or severed during the growth phase of the antler cycle the animal could bleed to death.

A moose shedding its velvet after the antlers are fully grown.

The antler cycle is driven by testosterone which in turn is triggered by increasing day length (Photoperiodism) in spring. At the beginning of summer after approximately 4 months of growth – depending on various environmental and biological factors – antlers reach their full size and the cartilage begins to calcify. By the end of summer, when testosterone levels are at their peak, the blood vessels shut down around the base of the antlers, the velvet layer dies and ‘peels’ off, and the antlers harden into some smooth and spectacular mammalian finery. Antler production, especially the internal synthesis of calcium (largely absent from their diet), draws heavily on the animal’s nutrient reserves and so they also act as a visual demonstration of the animal’s fitness. As winter nears, the level of testosterone decreases due to shortening day length and the antlers are shed.

Horns on the other hand, typical of most male members of the Bovidae family, are not shed nor are they branched but they do come in a spectacular array of curved, straight, twisted or spiralled shapes and sizes often with ridges or fluting along two thirds of their length. They have a solid bony core that grows from the frontal bones of the skull within a keratinous sheath that develops from external epidermal layers. Development begins soon after birth and like a fingernail, continues throughout their life. If horns are broken they may continue to grow in an irregular or deformed manner and deformities may also occur as a result of inbreeding, injuries or mineral deficiencies in the diet.

Male kudus have some of the most striking horns of all the antelope of Londolozi. Photograph by Kevin Power.

With the exception of Caribou and Reindeer (usually small and poorly formed), antlers usually never grow on females but horns can occur on both sexes. As a general rule of thumb, if it has horns then it’s a male. But in certain species, including Cape Buffalo and Blue Wildebeest, both sexes have horns.

Both male and female blue wildebeest have horns, which can make sexing them slightly more tricky… Photograph by James Tyrrell

Generally, in nomadic species or grazers (barring eland which are mixed feeders) both sexes will have horns whereas in species that prefer closed habitats and are either mixed feeders or browsers, only the males will have horns. Open-habitat species, such as Sable, Roan, Tsessebe and Gemsbok, usually form larger herds that are dominated by a single male. As a consequence, and due to the fact that there is less cover on which to rely, females require horns in the defence of their young. If horns were absent in females, predators with their propensity for picking out young, infirm or injured animals, would consistently target females resulting in a skewed sex ratio. Species that prefer closed-habitats, such as kudu, bushbuck, nyala and most duikers) generally occur in pairs or smaller family units (impala are the exception). The absence of horns facilitates movement through thicker vegetation and makes them less conspicuous. Males, however, still require horns in order to compete for females.

Londolozi’s least common antelope, the reedbuck. Only the males possess horns, so the male is closest to camera, the female behind him. Photograph by James Tyrrell.

There’s certainly something awe-inspiring about a herd of fifteen kudu bulls chewing the cud in the shade of a large Knobthorn acacia on a hot summer’s day, their corkscrew shaped horns silhouetted against a bright grassy backdrop, a line of impala rams marching across the skyline at sundown or gazing over a herd of six hundred buffalo; black bodies, dung, flies and a field of bovine weaponry.

And it’s the horns that add the vibrancy, tweaks the saturation and draws out the clarity in an already picturesque setting.

About the Author

Paul Danckwerts

Ranger

Zambian-born, Paul grew up a fisherman, a birder and a lover of all things outdoors. Following his passion for wildlife he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Rhodes University before heading for the lowveld. Paul boasts a number of years guiding ...

Associates & Awards

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Purchase a photograph

Our best photographs are available for purchase in digital format from the Londolozi Live Fine Art Store, via credit card. Purchasable photos are tagged with the Fine Art Store icon:

Once purchased, you will be able to download the full resolution, unwatermarked image (around 10Mb) from your profile page at any time. There are also different license options which you can choose from when adding the image to your cart.

To add any purchasable image to your cart, press the Purchase/Add to cart buttons next to an image, from anywhere across Londolozi Live:

Badges

Badges are awarded for achieving various things and come with a bunch of points in tow. Here's an example badge:

We've had the pleasure of hosting you here at Londolozi and together we've experienced the magic of the wild and now you're part of the family. You've let us know about your past visits while editing your Profile.

Londolozi Guest

Awarded for visiting Londolozi.

1000

prowess earned

for earning the Londolozi Guest badge

Each badge has a basic version, such as the Londolozi Guest badge above, and then a specialist version:

Londolozi Lifer

Awarded for visiting Londolozi three times.

2000

prowess earned

for earning the Londolozi Lifer badge

To see all the badges on offer and find out how to grab them, visit the Badge Showcase or click on any badge you happen to find out there in the wild.

Senior Digital Ranger

Digital Tracker

Master Tracker

Guest

We've had the pleasure of hosting you here at Londolozi and together we've experienced the magic of the wild and now you're part of the family. You've let us know about your past visits while editing your Profile.

You've earned the badge:

Londolozi Guest

Awarded for visiting Londolozi.

1000

prowess earned

for earning the Londolozi Guest badge

You're a specialist in this field and have earned the badge:

Londolozi Lifer

Leopard

On a trip to Londolozi you've been lucky enough to spot a leopard of Londolozi. You've encountered the leopard's profile card on the Blog and pressed the 'Spotted this Leopard?' button to record your sighting.

Lion Fanatic

Photographer

You've got an eye for the wilderness and have had your photographic journal from your time at Londolozi published on the Blog for others to enjoy. You found out how to submit your story by emailing us.

You've earned the badge:

Photographer

Awarded for submitting a photo story.

700

prowess earned

for earning the Photographer badge

You're a specialist in this field and have earned the badge:

Master Photographer

Storyteller

You've got the gift of the storyteller and have had a tale of your time at Londolozi published on the Blog for others to marvel at around the camp fire. You found out how to submit your story by emailing us.

Art Specialist

Good Work Foundation

You recongise the rare privilege it is to be able to experience the untamed beauty of the natural world, and have found an opportunity to give back through The Good Work Foundation, for the sake of others, your children and the wild. You've let us know about your donations while editing your Profile.

You've earned the badge:

GWF Patron

Awarded for donating to The Good Work Foundation.

500

prowess earned

for earning the GWF Patron badge

You're a specialist in this field and have earned the badge:

GWF Protector

Curator

You've curated your own Favorites gallery by ♡ing at least 15 photographs which you absolutely love from around Londolozi Live. If your Favorites gallery has caught the eye of the Fine Art site Editor and is featured, you've also earned the esteemed Featured Curator badge.

Londolozi Live

Membership Overview

Londolozi Live

Membership overview

We invite you to sign up for a Londolozi Live account and join our growing digital family united by our respect for nature and love of the wild. Membership is free and grants access to the Londolozi community, numerous innovative services and benefits across our digital ecosystem:

Quick sign in/sign up

Tired of new passwords? Link your social media account of choice for instant, secure access to Londolozi Live.

Who are you?

Tell the community something about yourself and tweak your Londolozi profile. More of a secretive animal? Keep your profile private.

Track your activity

Earn badges for your profile as you interact with Londolozi and the community as you comment, share and explore our online ecosystem. All your activity with Londolozi is now connected.

Increase your ranking

Earn prowess and rank up as you interact with Londolozi Live and earn a spot on the monthly points leaderboard.

Discuss stories

Chat with other Londolozi Live Explorers and with your favourite Contributors from the Londolozi team about their photos and stories from the wild.

Curate your own galleryNEW

Add your favorite photographs from around Londolozi Live to your very own Favorites gallery, using the ♡ button, for others to enjoy.

Purchase full res photosNEW

Buy your favorite photos in full resolution, easily and securely, for download at any time from your Profile Page.

Home of leopards

Tell us which of the Leopards of Londolozi you've encountered during your visit! Their cards will move to your profile page collection.

Rent gear

Need a camera for your stay? Book it online and hassle free. Travel to Londolozi light and easy.

sightings by Members

The Leopards of Londolozi

Since 1979 Londolozi has had a love affair with leopards. Over the last four decades, this dynasty has been chronicled by the many guides and trackers, past and present, who have worked at Londolozi.

You can visit the Mashaba 4:3 Female's dedicated profile page to access a rich trove of information about this leopard, including family tree, unique markings, territory maps, timelines and a host of stunning images and videos.